


April Fools

by the lady of shalott (astolat)



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Imported, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1998-03-08
Updated: 1998-03-08
Packaged: 2017-11-25 12:15:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/638809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astolat/pseuds/the%20lady%20of%20shalott
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim gets fooled on April 1 -- and then so does Blair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	April Fools

**April Fools**  
by the lady of shalott

Blair quietly seethed as Jim, Simon, and Rafe practiced tag-team flirting with Naomi in front of him. He was annoyed with all four participants, but his primary irritation was reserved for Jim. _I take the guy out bar_ - _hopping, and he won't even talk to anyone. I ask him over and over to keep things normal with my mom, and he turns into Casanova. I can't believe I have to sit here and listen to this._ Losing patience, he finally said, "Uh, Simon, aren't you guys going to be late for that concert if you don't leave, like, now?"

Simon glanced at his watch. "Kid's right. You ready to head out?" he asked Naomi and Rafe.

"Sure thing. I'll see you two later," she smiled at Jim and Blair, picking up a small knapsack. "Let's go!" She led the other two men out of the loft, Jim closing the door behind them with a friendly wave.

Still fuming internally, Blair strolled over to the fridge and poured himself some orange juice with a deceptively casual air, mentally counting down the waiting time he'd set for himself to allay suspicion on Jim's part. As the time ran down, he pulled out a few items from the cupboards haphazardly, putting them into bowls. When finished, he called out, "Hey, Jim, you mind trying something out for me?"

Jim looked over from the couch, where he was sitting watching the TV. "Another test?" he said in long-suffering tones.

"Come on, man, I haven't asked you to do one for a while."

"All right, all right." He pushed himself up from the couch and came over to the kitchen island. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, looking over the items curiously.

"Okay... stand right here. I need you to put on the blindfold for this one, we're going to be testing out your sense of touch." Blair was careful to keep his voice professorial as he tied a bandanna over Jim's eyes. "Now, I want you to use the dial imagery we worked out to help you handle pain, but this time, I want you to focus on touch. The thing about this test is that you're not going to use your hands, so you have to raise the dial for your whole body, got it?"

"Uh, how am I supposed to use my sense of touch if I'm not using my hands?"

"I'm going to put small samples of the stuff on various parts of your body, like your forearms," Blair lied glibly. "Now focus on the dial... see it in your mind... now slowly turn it up." He waited patiently as Jim inhaled several times, the taller man's body gradually relaxing. "Got it?"

"Yeah... feels kind of weird."

"You ready?"

"Go ahead," Jim confirmed, holding out one arm.

Blair quietly picked up their wooden cutting board by its handle, took careful aim, and let fly with a nice, solid swing.

"OW!!!" Jim's angry bellow echoed through the loft. Prudently, Blair beat a hasty retreat towards his room as his roommate tore off the blindfold. "Sandburg, your ass is mine!"

Blair couldn't resist pausing for a smug taunt, "I'd say it was the other way around, actually." The gloating was his downfall, as it inspired Jim to hop the corner of the kitchen island and land between him and the doors to his room. Blair backpedaled rapidly into the living room as Jim stalked towards him.

"We'll see about that." The dark tone promised all sorts of unpleasant things.

Belatedly, Blair attempted to defend himself. "Hey, you deserved it!"

"Yeah? Well, you deserve everything I'm going to do, too!" Jim pounced, managing to catch Blair around the waist with one arm despite the younger man's attempt to scramble out of the way. Slinging Blair to the ground with an easy toss, Jim dived on top of him, pinning his wrists to the floor with one hand while his legs kept Blair's forced against the ground.

Blair started squirming determinedly, but with no success. "No fair! Let me up!"

"'No fair'? No fair, Sandburg, is getting me to blindfold myself and turn up my senses so you can wallop me on the rear!" Jim started unbuttoning Blair's jeans with his free hand.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Blair demanded.

"Since you don't have a dial to turn up, I'm going to have to take other steps to make this experience memorable." Jim got the fly open and started tugging the denim down.

"What the—!" Both of them stopped their respective efforts at the startled exclamation and looked up to find Simon, Rafe, and Naomi staring at them from the doorway.

Naomi recovered easily. "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry for interrupting. I left the tickets on the dresser. I'll just grab them and we'll be right out." She hurried into Blair's room, leaving the captain and detective to gawk openly at the tangled pair on the floor.

Jim knew with deadly certainty that he was in trouble. "Uh, I... we... um. This isn't what it looks like," he tried. "He was... he just..."

"I spanked him," Blair said helpfully. "He was about to return the favor."

Jim started making strangled noises.

Simon's jaw clamped shut. From behind clenched teeth issued, "Sandburg, we don't want to know." Beside him, Rafe's expression was purely gleeful.

Naomi emerged from the room with the tickets. "You two do have a safeword, right?" she asked with gentle concern.

"Yeah, it's 'oh captain, my captain'," Blair cheerfully told her.

Simon started making strangled noises.

"Okay! Have fun, sweetie!" She tugged her escorts out the door, waving goodbye with a quick smile before closing the door after them.

Jim's mouth worked soundlessly for several moments after they disappeared, until finally he exploded with, "SANDBURG!"

Still pinned to the ground, Blair laughed so hard tears came to his eyes. "Oh man!" he gasped weakly. "Simon's face! Your face!"

Grinding his teeth, Jim stared at his convulsing partner. "I'm going to kill you," he said deliberately. "Very slowly."

Now reduced to hiccuping laughter, Blair just grinned up at Jim. "It was so worth it. And I bet I can make whatever you do to me sound really kinky when they come back." He bestowed his best evil leer on Jim.

Jim tried to come up with an answer for that one, but the horror settling in was making it difficult to think. _Simon and Rafe saw me with my hand down Blair's pants. They think that Blair and I were about to have sex. They think that Blair and I were about to have sex involving spanking._ He groaned out loud. "I'm never going to be able to look them in the face again."

Taking advantage of the slackening in Jim's muscles, Blair nudged him back and propped himself up on his elbows. "Relax," he said reassuringly, feeling a twinge of pity at the panicky look in his partner's eyes. "I'll explain it to them."

Jim stood up and covered his face with his hands, pushing his hair back. "Damn straight you will! This is all your fault."

Blair's eyes went wide as he sat up. "Excuse me? How is this all my fault? You were the one who threw me down on the floor and started ripping my clothes off."

"You whacked me with a paddle, Sandburg! What did you expect me to do, let it slide?" Jim demanded indignantly.

"You were flirting with my mom! Again!"

"I was not!"

"You were too!"

Jim waved away the question. "That's not the point! Even if I was, it doesn't justify you coming after me with the cutting board."

"Well, maybe if it didn't take corporal punishment to get through to you, I wouldn't have had to." Blair folded his arms.

"Well," Jim said with a false smile, "since you approve of corporal punishment so much, maybe I should go back to administering some." He took a threatening step towards Blair.

By way of response, Blair stretched his legs out, crossed his ankles, and leaned back on his elbows in a deliberately sensual pose. "Oh yeah, baby," he purred. "I love it when you play rough." He wiggled his hips suggestively.

Jim froze.

Blair slid one hand down to his still-unbuttoned jeans, easing the fly open. "Come on, I know you want to," he breathed, licking his lips, eyes half-lidded.

Jim swallowed visibly, muscles rippling along his jaw and throat. "I... I'm going to go... work out," he managed, and fled.

The minute the door shut, not caring that Jim would hear him, Blair lay back on the floor and laughed himself sick. When he finally recovered from the near-hysteria, he zipped up his jeans and bounced up, still grinning. _Man, that was great. And it serves him right for flirting._ He started straightening up the kitchen, which was still in a mess from his purported test, humming to himself cheerfully.

* * *

A few hours later, a tentative knock came on the door. Blair swung it open, and instantly started grinning again at the half-nervous expressions on Rafe and Simon's faces. "Hey guys. How'd you like the concert?"

"It was wonderful, sweetie." Naomi came in and kissed him on the cheek. "Did you have a good time?"

"A great time, and not for the reasons you think," he said, eyes shining. "I haven't laughed this hard in years. You guys totally came in at the perfect moment to misinterpret it. Half a minute before or after and it wouldn't have been anywhere near as funny."

"You guys weren't having sex?" Rafe actually sounded disappointed.

"Come on, man. Everything else aside, can you actually see Jim spanking someone during sex?"

"April Fool's isn't until Monday, Sandburg, so if that little stunt was your idea of a joke," Simon began ominously.

"Simon, you're not telling me that you really think Jim and I would have set that up, are you?"

Simon stared at him measuringly for a few minutes. "Jim wouldn't have, and I guess you couldn't have known we were going to come back," he finally conceded.

Rafe persisted, "So you guys aren't lovers?"

"No, Rafe, we're not," Blair said firmly.

Naomi sighed a little. "Oh dear. And here I was going to congratulate Jim on loosening up and becoming more uninhibited."

Blair laughed. "I'll be sure to tell him that, Mom."

"It's too bad you couldn't have planned this," Rafe shook his head in regret, finally accepting Blair's denial. "What a truly ideal prank."

Eyes opening wide, Blair gave the detective a speculative look.

* * *

Monday April 1 dawned bright and clear, if a little cold. Blair bounced a little nervously in the elevator as it carried him and his partner up to the Major Crimes department. It didn't take a Sentinel to notice the sudden hush that fell over the crowded room when they entered the bullpen. Jim uneasily took in the odd stares, but continued on to his desk with no indication that he'd noticed anything out of the ordinary. Blair gave Rafe a quick, well-hidden wink behind Jim's back, received one in return.

Jim tensed as his hearing started to pick up the whispers that were flying around the room. &LTThey are kind of cute together.&GT &LTI always thought they were more than friends.&GT &LTHow long? Oh, it's got to be forever. Probably since Sandburg moved in with him.&GT Muscles along his jaw rippled as he turned on his computer. "I thought you told Rafe and Simon about what happened Saturday?" he muttered to Blair under his breath.

Blair pretended not to hear him as Jenny came by with the day's donuts. "You have a poppyseed bagel?" he asked her.

"Sure do! Here you go, Blair. And here's your regular glazed donut, Detective Ellison." She seemed to hesitate for a minute, then hurriedly added, "By the way, I just want you guys to know... all of us in facilities think... well, we're just really happy for both of you." She gave them a quick smile, undaunted by the suddenly stormy expression on Jim's face.

"Wow..." Blair deliberately sent a hesitant look over at Jim before continuing. "Thanks, Jenny. It's really great to know we've got that kind of support." Jim blinked, then went slack-jawed as Blair went on, "We weren't really planning to come out, but I guess it's a little late to worry about that."

Jenny reached out and patted Blair's arm comfortingly. "I'm sorry that it got out the way it did."

Blair shrugged, the picture of resignation. "These things happen."

Jim stood absolutely still as Jenny walked away, then asked with deceptive calm, "Blair, what did you tell Rafe and Simon?"

Blair put on his most innocent, angelic expression. "Come on, Jim. I mean, I know we agreed not to tell people about it, and to keep it quiet, but they already knew. What was I going to do, lie to them?"

His face a study in frozen shock, Jim wondered briefly if Blair had completely lost his mind. "Lie to them about what, Sandburg?"

"Oh, come on, man. It's a little late to keep it quiet now, you know."

"There's nothing to keep quiet!" Jim hissed, getting ready to throttle his partner.

Blair cast his eyes up, wondering privately if the gesture wasn't a little too theatrical. He stood up and loudly asked, "Excuse me. Is there anyone in this department who doesn't already know that Jim and I are lovers?"

"No," chorused back everyone in the room.

Jim made a noise that could only be described as a squawk.

The door to Simon's office banged open. "All right, people, this is a police department, not a menagerie. Get back to work!" Simon ordered. "Ellison, Sandburg, my office, now."

Dazed with horror, Jim followed Blair into Simon's office, staring back out at the bullpen from the doorway for a moment, trying to get a handle on the situation.

"Jim!"

At Simon's bark, Jim pulled the door shut, shooting a glare at his partner as he joined him in front of the captain's desk. _I don't know why the hell you're doing this, Sandburg, but you're going to regret it._

"Sit down, both of you," Simon said sternly, pointing at them with an unlit cigar. "All right. Now, I had to do some pretty fast talking. Department policy has always been that partners couldn't be involved—I'm not finished, Jim, so keep it shut for a minute. Fortunately, since Sandburg's not officially your partner, and since your record's hit astronomical since he started working with you, I managed to convince the brass to let him stick with you." He leaned back in his seat with a satisfied expression.

"Wow, Simon, that's really great," Blair enthused. "We owe you big-time, man."

Jim looked wildly from Simon to Blair and back, trying to speak. "Simon...! This isn't... we're not... SANDBURG!"

Blair winced. He confidingly told Simon, "He's not really happy that I told you and Rafe the truth about us."

Simon nodded understandingly, then leaned forward across the desk. "Look, Jim, I'll tell you what I told Sandburg. It didn't take that little display this weekend, and it sure as heck didn't take Sandburg telling me. I've known for a good long while now." As Jim gave evidence of choking, Simon waved a hand. "Come on, Jim. I've known you for a long time. Hell, it took me longer to figure it out than it should have. Not," he added sharply, "that I don't wish you had enough faith in me to tell me about it yourself."

A horrifying disorientation washed over Jim as he stared into his captain's sincerely regretful expression. _Either Sandburg and Simon have both lost their minds, or I have,_ he decided grimly. "Simon..."

"We'll talk about this later," Simon interrupted. "At lunch. The boys and I are taking you two out to Chez Marmite to celebrate your coming out."

Blair was genuinely surprised. "Simon, you don't need to do that..."

"We want to, Sandburg," Simon grinned at the young observer, mirth allowed to show in his eyes for one moment. _Poor Jim must be going nuts by now,_ he thought. "But that doesn't mean you two get the day off, so get on out of here and do some work."

"Yes, sir," Blair bouncily replied. "Come on, Jim."

Simon headed off any attempt by Jim to explain by picking up his phone and placing a call. Feeling unaccountably helpless, Ellison pushed himself out of the chair and wandered a little haphazardly over to his desk.

"Isn't this great?" Blair perched happily on a corner of the desk, gesturing expansively and speaking loud enough to be overheard by the nearby detectives. "Everyone's being so awesome about the whole thing."

_Maybe I_ have _lost my mind_ , Jim thought, staring at his computer screen.

* * *

_If I live to be a hundred, I'll never be so glad to see a day end._ His eyes had been all but glued to the clock hands for the last two hours. Lunch had been a bizarre ordeal, with all of his fellow detectives making silly toasts to him and Blair with sparkling grape juice. Sandburg had even kissed him at their urging. Jim shivered. His lips remembered the taste of that mouth too clearly, even though the kiss had been a brief, shallow affair. _I wonder how long this prank is going to last. What's he going to do when we get home, jump my bones? What am I going to do if he does?_ His eyes darted sideways for a quick glance at Blair. _No, don't think about that._

So he was down to the last file, and the clock was down to its last minute. He skimmed through the paperwork too quickly, signed it with a scribble, and tossed it into his outbox. "All right, Chief," he said quietly, rising to his feet. "You ready to head out?"

Blair looked up at him, tension knotting in his stomach. The day had taken an unexpected turn into left field at the restaurant—more specifically, over dessert, when a slightly giddy Rafe had started the calls for a kiss. He'd shot the detective a glare, but had gone through with it anyway. And promptly rediscovered the feeling of sticking his finger into an electrical socket as his lips had touched Jim's. _Well, so it wasn't painful. But it sure as hell was a shock,_ he admitted to himself. _What the hell was going on with me there?_ Putting off any further introspection, Blair stood up and said loudly, "Yeah, man, there's just something we all want to tell you."

Jim looked at Blair, then at the rest of the suddenly attentive people in the room. "And that would be...?"

Blair and Rafe exchanged glances, then led the chorus of delighted, "April Fool's!" cheers.

Jim was completely quiet as the shout died away. Everyone else fell silent. A few papers rustled. A phone rang and was instantly switched to voicemail by its owner.

Jim's mouth twitched, shifted, and finally cracked into a wry smile.

As if that were a signal, the whole room erupted into laughter.

Jim sat down with a huff of breath, leaning his head on one hand. "Sandburg, you do realize I'm going to have to get you for this," he muttered softly to his partner.

Blair bounced a little on the edge of the desk, grinning hugely. "Doesn't matter, man. You won't be able to match this in a million years," he murmured back triumphantly.

"Oh, I don't know. Let's see about that." Jim felt a sense of wild giddiness overtake him. He stood up, raising his hands. "All right, people, listen up here. Ah..." he put on a show of being hesitant. "I've got something of a confession to make. This is a joke, but it's not the one you think it is." He turned and looked at Blair, giving his partner a smirk hidden from the rest of the room.

Blair's eyes widened. _No. He wouldn't. He totally would NOT._

"The fact is... Blair and I really are together," Jim said, false sincerity bright in his eyes. "We'd agreed not to come out, and I was kind of upset that he did it without my agreement. I didn't think people here would be comfortable with it. And maybe some of you won't, if it's not a joke." The room was utterly silent now, everyone, including Blair, gaping at Jim in total shock. "But today made me realize that I don't want to keep this a secret anymore."

After a few more moments of silence, Rafe ventured, "How long have you two been a couple?"

Blair was torn between laughter and murder as Jim shrugged and answered, "Ahhh... since Valentine's Day."

"Yes!" Brown broke into a little victory dance. "I told you guys they'd do the romantic thing! Ha-HA!" Loud groans erupted all over the room.

Jim and Blair developed identical looks of horror as more than half the room's occupants started giving Brown money. Blair hopped down from his perch and leaned over Brown's desk. "You guys had a pool going on us?" he said, pointing at Jim and then to himself.

Looking up from gloating over his winnings, Brown grinned at him. "Come on, man! You two have been dancing 'round each other since you showed up. About time you got together. We've had to reset the pool two years in a row."

Blair gave a faint moan.

"Hang on before you go all the way to the bank there, Brown," Jim hastily jumped in. "I was kidding just now. You didn't really think Sandburg and I were an item?"

Rafe just shook his head as he handed Brown a twenty. "Don't even try it, Ellison. Blair had me going pretty well there with this little 'joke' of his. No way am I getting suckered again."

Taggart clapped Jim on the back. "Come on, Jim. You two are good for each other. I guarantee that everyone in this division is really happy for you guys, not upset. The pool was all in good fun."

Jim stared at the jovial detective with a sinking sensation.

* * *

Blair flopped down on the couch with a thud. "I'm never going to be able to get a date with any woman at the PD ever again," he moaned, letting his head fall back against the cushions.

Jim slumped down next to him, muffling a yawn with one hand. "So what's the problem? You'd gone through all the available ones already."

"Man, this is all your fault."

"All my fault? Sandburg, you announced that we were lovers to the entire Major Crimes division!"

"So did you! Difference is, they'd been prepped when I did it! You're the one who couldn't take a joke and had to cry 'wolf' one too many times," Blair groused. "Nobody's ever going to believe that we're not really a couple now."

"I can't believe they actually think we're together," Jim complained, glaring at his partner resentfully. He couldn't resist a verbal poke. "Like I'd date you. You can't even kiss."

"Excuse me?" Offended, Blair sat up despite his fatigue. "What, you wanted me to go for tongue in front of the guys?!"

Aware he was being irrational, Jim nevertheless mumbled, "Well, if the kiss had been decent, at least I'd have gotten something out of a day in the Twilight Zone besides a headache."

"You want a decent kiss, fine!" A fed-up Blair grabbed Jim's head with both hands, turned it towards him, and planted a thorough, wet, plundering kiss on his startled mouth. "There! How's that?" he demanded challengingly.

Jim made a small noise, mouth working inarticulately.

"What, it wasn't good enough for you?" Blair yanked his head up for another one. Halfway along, Jim recovered enough to participate.

They were both panting as the second clinch ended. "So there," Blair said in a wobbly voice.

"Right." Jim sounded equally dazed.

They both sat back once again, staring at the TV in silence for several long minutes, neither of them really noticing that it wasn't turned on.

"I can't believe they had a pool going on us." Blair suddenly said.

"Mm."

"I mean, sure, you're practically a wet dream for anyone who's attracted to guys, but still."

"Mm—What did you just say?"

"I said you're an attractive guy."

"That's not what you said."

"If you know what I said, what are you asking me for?"

Jim opened his mouth, then stopped. Then, "You think I'm attractive?"

"What, you need your ego stroked? Come on, man, you look in the mirror occasionally, right?"

"I'm not that good-looking."

Blair rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Sandburg, I'm pushing 40. I'm losing my hair. You're the one with the looks in this partnership."

"Jim, I'm cute. Puppy dogs are also cute. You are sexy. There's a difference."

"If you don't think you're sexy, I'm not the one who needs to be taking a look in the mirror."

Blair was quiet for a few minutes. Jim had gone back to staring at the blank television screen when he was suddenly asked, "Are you saying that you find me sexually attractive?"

A warning buzzer went off in Jim's mind. Instead of answering, he blurted, "Is that what you're saying?"

They stared at each other.

"Oh man," Blair breathed, eyes wide.

As if that had been a signal, they lunged at each other with the energy of racers breaking from the starting line. One hand buried in Blair's hair, Jim devoured the succulent fire of his partner's mouth as his other hand worked on the fastening of his jeans. Blair didn't divide his attention, letting Jim keep their heads locked together while he focused on getting Jim's shirt off.

Their clothing wound up scattered over the room as they precariously twined together on the couch, hips thrusting erratically, lips still fused together. Straining to touch each other everywhere at once, they moaned in unison when their cocks bumped gently, a velvet-soft caress, hard thighs clenching around them. A few quick awkward shudders, sparks driving along suddenly fired nerves, and they fell into an urgent rhythm, both pounding with thoughtless desperation into the hot welcome offered by the other's body. Igniting like flashpaper, release scorched through them simultaneously, their tangled bodies shivering so badly they tumbled off the couch, still embracing, still coming.

Panting harshly, they struggled apart enough to make it to their feet. Without a word, half-falling against each other, they made it into the small bedroom and collapsed onto the unmade bed, already groping hungrily at hardened muscles. Lips finally parting, they nearly fought over access to tender patches of sweat-sheened flesh, tongues stroking insistently over the curves of bicep and hip, teeth nipping at shoulder and chest, mouths lifting from each other's body only long enough to voice an occasional moan. Hands delved into sheltered hollows, pads soothing after nails lightly scraped over delicate skin.

Needing more, they writhed over the twisted sheets until they were facing, then suckled on each other's fingers as if by agreement, tongues slipping out to lick at each other's lips. Their mouths were mutually captured once again as they drew out the slicked fingers. Legs intersected, lifting to press against the tightly-drawn sacs, while their hips thrust eagerly to bring groins together.

Curling around the waiting flesh, their hands slid over hips and buttocks, wet fingers probing between the taut cheeks. They tensed, quiet, wet gasps escaping as they invaded each other, first a single digit, then two. Rigidly held breaths broke free when they were finally sheathed, the penetrating fingers now becoming soft pistons to urge them onward. Their voices rose as one, wordless cries breaking into sharp moans of pleasure given and taken, their bodies rocking gently back and forth.

Each movement pushed them a little further towards climax, fingertips rubbing the soft internal walls while their cocks pressed together between the hard tension of their abdomens. The rocking picked up speed briefly, then intensified into near-stillness, only their hips still pumping, fingers held still while they moved back onto them and then forward. With a final straining jerk, they shoved their bodies together hard and pressed deeper simultaneously, holding each other still as hot cream pulsed in waves from them, sliding like a wet, silken caress over their shafts and thighs.

Still tight against each other, the two of them gulped in sobbing breaths. Dazed past moving, Jim leaned his head forward just a little to suckle on Blair's full lower lip, nibbling sleepily on the pink delicacy. Blair mumbled incoherently and wriggled on the fingers still planted inside him, nudging Jim with his own hand. 

"Oh God!" Jim flung his head back at the sudden blaze of sensation through his whole body. He withdrew his fingers, shaking a little as Blair did the same, then let himself fall carefully onto his stomach, buttocks clenching on the ache throbbing deep inside him. The bed shifted a little as Blair eased himself down beside him, eyes closed and bruised lips parted. They lay there for long moments, breathing together.

Finally, Jim pushed himself up a little and rolled off the bed, careful not to get into a sitting position. Wobbling a little, he made his way to the bathroom and came back with a towel and a wet washcloth. He nudged Blair, muzzily ordering, "Roll over."

"Don't want to move," Blair groaned, even though he obeyed, lying still while Jim cleaned him off.

"Dry bed upstairs." 

"Nooo…"

"Come on." 

With a final sigh, Blair gathered himself and pushed off the bed. 

Leading the way, Jim climbed the stairs a little too quickly, eyes going wide for a minute as a twinge ran through him. Hitting the loft, he grabbed onto the railing and held very still for a moment while the ache subsided. Blair, prudently moving at a slower pace, gave him a little smirk as he came up. 

Jim scowled in response until Blair placated him by wrapping his arms around the taller man's waist and sucking on the tender skin of his throat while he eased him down to the bed.

Jim sighed and let his head drop against the pillows. As his eyes slowly lidded with pleasure, he suddenly jerked. "Hey, you want to mark me here, Chief?"

"Mm-hmm. Now hold still so I can finish." Blair pinned him down and went back to nibbling. 

"Sandburg," Jim panted, "Everyone will see…"

"That's the point." Blair examined the flushed patch critically, decided it wasn't quite dark enough, and latched on again. Jim squirmed half-heartedly beneath him, not really wanting to get away from the flickering tongue. "There. Mine," Blair declared firmly, giving Jim a challenging look, daring him to contradict.

Blushing, Jim stroked Blair's tangled hair, some corner of him more pleased than he could say to be so insistently claimed. "Yeah," he said awkwardly, letting the tightening of his arms around the slender body atop him say the rest for him. He let his head fall back again, smiling a little. 

Blair snuggled down like a clingy blanket, trailing silky tendrils of hair. As they drifted off to sleep, he chuckled suddenly. 

"Hm?"

"Only we could possibly end up with April Fool's Day as our anniversary."

Jim laughed softly. "Guess the joke turned out to be on us." 

"Nah, it's on Brown."

"Brown?"

"Yeah, just wait until we tell him he didn't win the pool after all."

"Uh, Sandburg, I don't know that we need to go advertising that..."

"Hey, Jim?"

"Yeah?"

"April Fool's."

// The End //


End file.
